Latest news with #ofNeurology
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
ESOC 2025: Combined oral contraceptives triple risk of cryptogenic stroke in young women, new study shows
HELSINKI, May 20, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- New research presented today at the European Stroke Organisation Conference (ESOC) 2025 revealed that the use of combined oral contraceptives (OCs) is associated with a threefold increase in the risk of cryptogenic ischaemic stroke (CIS) in young women.(1) The findings add to a growing body of evidence linking hormonal contraception to vascular risk in women of reproductive age. Cryptogenic ischaemic stroke, which is stroke with no identifiable cause, accounts for up to 40% of all ischaemic strokes in young adults.(2) Despite its prevalence, the contribution of sex-specific risk factors, such as contraceptive use, has remained underexplored. While prior studies have associated combined OCs with stroke risk, this is among the few studies to focus specifically on cryptogenic stroke in young women. The Searching for Explanations for Cryptogenic Stroke in the Young (SECRETO) study included 268 women aged 18–49 years with CIS and 268 age-matched stroke-free controls across 14 centres in Europe. Of the participants, 66 patients and 38 controls were using combined OCs. After adjusting for age and established comorbidities such as hypertension, smoking, migraine with aura, and abdominal obesity, OC use was associated with an adjusted odds ratio of 3.00 (95% CI: 1.61–5.57). No significant interactions were found between OC use and these risk factors, suggesting that the increased stroke risk may operate independently of other known contributors. "Our findings confirm earlier evidence linking oral contraceptives to stroke risk," said Dr. Mine Sezgin, Department of Neurology, Istanbul University, and lead author of the study. "What's particularly notable is that the association remains strong even when accounting for other known risk factors, which suggests there may be additional mechanisms involved – possibly genetic or biological." Most OC users in the study were taking ethinylestradiol-based formulations, with a median dose of 20 micrograms. Other types of estrogen, such as estradiol hemihydrate and estradiol valerate, were also recorded. "We calculated the equivalent estrogen dose for each patient to ensure consistency," Dr Sezgin explained. "While our data provides important initial insights, larger studies are needed to determine if certain formulations carry different levels of risk. This knowledge could help guide more personalised contraceptive choices for women." While the researchers note that further prospective studies are needed, they advise clinicians to exercise caution when prescribing combined OCs to women with known vascular risk factors or a history of ischaemic stroke. "Our findings should prompt more careful evaluation of stroke risk in young women, particularly those with additional risk factors," concluded Dr. Sezgin. Moving forward, the researchers plan to explore biological and genetic mechanisms underlying the observed association between combined OC use and increased stroke risk to better understand how hormonal contraceptives may independently elevate stroke risk. Note to editors: A reference to ESOC 2025 must be included in all coverage and/or articles associated with this study. About the study author: Dr. Mine Sezgin is a neurologist and stroke researcher based at the Istanbul University Faculty of Medicine. Her work focuses on sex-specific risk factors and stroke prevention in young adults. About the European Stroke Organisation (ESO): The ESO is a pan-European society of stroke researchers and physicians, national and regional stroke societies and lay organisations that was founded in December 2007. The aim of the ESO is to reduce the burden of stroke by changing the way that stroke is viewed and treated. This can only be achieved by professional and public education, and by making institutional changes. ESO serves as the voice of stroke in Europe, harmonising stroke management across the whole of Europe and taking action to reduce the burden of stroke regionally and globally. References: 1. Sezgin, M., et al. Hormonal contraception increases the risk of cryptogenic stroke in young women. Abstract O049, presented at the European Stroke Organisation Conference; 21 May 2025; Vienna, Austria. 2. Yaghi, S., & Elkind, M. S. (2014). Cryptogenic stroke: A diagnostic challenge. Neurology. Clinical practice, 4(5), 386–393. View original content: SOURCE European Stroke Organisation Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Korea Herald
21-05-2025
- Health
- Korea Herald
ESOC 2025: Combined oral contraceptives triple risk of cryptogenic stroke in young women, new study shows
, May 21, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- New research presented today at the European Stroke Organisation Conference (ESOC) 2025 revealed that the use of combined oral contraceptives (OCs) is associated with a threefold increase in the risk of cryptogenic ischaemic stroke (CIS) in young women. (1) The findings add to a growing body of evidence linking hormonal contraception to vascular risk in women of reproductive age. Cryptogenic ischaemic stroke, which is stroke with no identifiable cause, accounts for up to 40% of all ischaemic strokes in young adults. (2) Despite its prevalence, the contribution of sex-specific risk factors, such as contraceptive use, has remained underexplored. While prior studies have associated combined OCs with stroke risk, this is among the few studies to focus specifically on cryptogenic stroke in young women. The Searching for Explanations for Cryptogenic Stroke in the Young (SECRETO) study included 268 women aged 18–49 years with CIS and 268 age-matched stroke-free controls across 14 centres in Europe. Of the participants, 66 patients and 38 controls were using combined OCs. After adjusting for age and established comorbidities such as hypertension, smoking, migraine with aura, and abdominal obesity, OC use was associated with an adjusted odds ratio of 3.00 (95% CI: 1.61–5.57). No significant interactions were found between OC use and these risk factors, suggesting that the increased stroke risk may operate independently of other known contributors. "Our findings confirm earlier evidence linking oral contraceptives to stroke risk," said Dr. Mine Sezgin, Department of Neurology, Istanbul University, and lead author of the study. "What's particularly notable is that the association remains strong even when accounting for other known risk factors, which suggests there may be additional mechanisms involved – possibly genetic or biological." Most OC users in the study were taking ethinylestradiol-based formulations, with a median dose of 20 micrograms. Other types of estrogen, such as estradiol hemihydrate and estradiol valerate, were also recorded. "We calculated the equivalent estrogen dose for each patient to ensure consistency," Dr Sezgin explained. "While our data provides important initial insights, larger studies are needed to determine if certain formulations carry different levels of risk. This knowledge could help guide more personalised contraceptive choices for women." While the researchers note that further prospective studies are needed, they advise clinicians to exercise caution when prescribing combined OCs to women with known vascular risk factors or a history of ischaemic stroke. "Our findings should prompt more careful evaluation of stroke risk in young women, particularly those with additional risk factors," concluded Dr. Sezgin. Moving forward, the researchers plan to explore biological and genetic mechanisms underlying the observed association between combined OC use and increased stroke risk to better understand how hormonal contraceptives may independently elevate stroke risk. Note to editors: A reference to ESOC 2025 must be included in all coverage and/or articles associated with this study. About the study author: Dr. Mine Sezgin is a neurologist and stroke researcher based at the Istanbul University Faculty of Medicine. Her work focuses on sex-specific risk factors and stroke prevention in young adults. About the European Stroke Organisation (ESO): The ESO is a pan-European society of stroke researchers and physicians, national and regional stroke societies and lay organisations that was founded in December 2007. The aim of the ESO is to reduce the burden of stroke by changing the way that stroke is viewed and treated. This can only be achieved by professional and public education, and by making institutional changes. ESO serves as the voice of stroke in Europe, harmonising stroke management across the whole of Europe and taking action to reduce the burden of stroke regionally and globally. 1. Sezgin, M., et al. Hormonal contraception increases the risk of cryptogenic stroke in young women. Abstract O049, presented at the European Stroke Organisation Conference; 21 May 2025; Vienna, Austria. 2. Yaghi, S., & Elkind, M. S. (2014). Cryptogenic stroke: A diagnostic challenge. Neurology. Clinical practice, 4 (5), 386–393.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
ESOC 2025: Combined oral contraceptives triple risk of cryptogenic stroke in young women, new study shows
HELSINKI, May 20, 2025 /CNW/ -- New research presented today at the European Stroke Organisation Conference (ESOC) 2025 revealed that the use of combined oral contraceptives (OCs) is associated with a threefold increase in the risk of cryptogenic ischaemic stroke (CIS) in young women.(1) The findings add to a growing body of evidence linking hormonal contraception to vascular risk in women of reproductive age. Cryptogenic ischaemic stroke, which is stroke with no identifiable cause, accounts for up to 40% of all ischaemic strokes in young adults.(2) Despite its prevalence, the contribution of sex-specific risk factors, such as contraceptive use, has remained underexplored. While prior studies have associated combined OCs with stroke risk, this is among the few studies to focus specifically on cryptogenic stroke in young women. The Searching for Explanations for Cryptogenic Stroke in the Young (SECRETO) study included 268 women aged 18–49 years with CIS and 268 age-matched stroke-free controls across 14 centres in Europe. Of the participants, 66 patients and 38 controls were using combined OCs. After adjusting for age and established comorbidities such as hypertension, smoking, migraine with aura, and abdominal obesity, OC use was associated with an adjusted odds ratio of 3.00 (95% CI: 1.61–5.57). No significant interactions were found between OC use and these risk factors, suggesting that the increased stroke risk may operate independently of other known contributors. "Our findings confirm earlier evidence linking oral contraceptives to stroke risk," said Dr. Mine Sezgin, Department of Neurology, Istanbul University, and lead author of the study. "What's particularly notable is that the association remains strong even when accounting for other known risk factors, which suggests there may be additional mechanisms involved – possibly genetic or biological." Most OC users in the study were taking ethinylestradiol-based formulations, with a median dose of 20 micrograms. Other types of estrogen, such as estradiol hemihydrate and estradiol valerate, were also recorded. "We calculated the equivalent estrogen dose for each patient to ensure consistency," Dr Sezgin explained. "While our data provides important initial insights, larger studies are needed to determine if certain formulations carry different levels of risk. This knowledge could help guide more personalised contraceptive choices for women." While the researchers note that further prospective studies are needed, they advise clinicians to exercise caution when prescribing combined OCs to women with known vascular risk factors or a history of ischaemic stroke. "Our findings should prompt more careful evaluation of stroke risk in young women, particularly those with additional risk factors," concluded Dr. Sezgin. Moving forward, the researchers plan to explore biological and genetic mechanisms underlying the observed association between combined OC use and increased stroke risk to better understand how hormonal contraceptives may independently elevate stroke risk. Note to editors: A reference to ESOC 2025 must be included in all coverage and/or articles associated with this study. About the study author: Dr. Mine Sezgin is a neurologist and stroke researcher based at the Istanbul University Faculty of Medicine. Her work focuses on sex-specific risk factors and stroke prevention in young adults. About the European Stroke Organisation (ESO): The ESO is a pan-European society of stroke researchers and physicians, national and regional stroke societies and lay organisations that was founded in December 2007. The aim of the ESO is to reduce the burden of stroke by changing the way that stroke is viewed and treated. This can only be achieved by professional and public education, and by making institutional changes. ESO serves as the voice of stroke in Europe, harmonising stroke management across the whole of Europe and taking action to reduce the burden of stroke regionally and globally. References: 1. Sezgin, M., et al. Hormonal contraception increases the risk of cryptogenic stroke in young women. Abstract O049, presented at the European Stroke Organisation Conference; 21 May 2025; Vienna, Austria. 2. Yaghi, S., & Elkind, M. S. (2014). Cryptogenic stroke: A diagnostic challenge. Neurology. Clinical practice, 4(5), 386–393. View original content: SOURCE European Stroke Organisation View original content: Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Cision Canada
20-05-2025
- Health
- Cision Canada
ESOC 2025: Combined oral contraceptives triple risk of cryptogenic stroke in young women, new study shows
HELSINKI, May 20, 2025 /CNW/ -- New research presented today at the European Stroke Organisation Conference (ESOC) 2025 revealed that the use of combined oral contraceptives (OCs) is associated with a threefold increase in the risk of cryptogenic ischaemic stroke (CIS) in young women. (1) The findings add to a growing body of evidence linking hormonal contraception to vascular risk in women of reproductive age. Cryptogenic ischaemic stroke, which is stroke with no identifiable cause, accounts for up to 40% of all ischaemic strokes in young adults. (2) Despite its prevalence, the contribution of sex-specific risk factors, such as contraceptive use, has remained underexplored. While prior studies have associated combined OCs with stroke risk, this is among the few studies to focus specifically on cryptogenic stroke in young women. The Searching for Explanations for Cryptogenic Stroke in the Young (SECRETO) study included 268 women aged 18–49 years with CIS and 268 age-matched stroke-free controls across 14 centres in Europe. Of the participants, 66 patients and 38 controls were using combined OCs. After adjusting for age and established comorbidities such as hypertension, smoking, migraine with aura, and abdominal obesity, OC use was associated with an adjusted odds ratio of 3.00 (95% CI: 1.61–5.57). No significant interactions were found between OC use and these risk factors, suggesting that the increased stroke risk may operate independently of other known contributors. "Our findings confirm earlier evidence linking oral contraceptives to stroke risk," said Dr. Mine Sezgin, Department of Neurology, Istanbul University, and lead author of the study. "What's particularly notable is that the association remains strong even when accounting for other known risk factors, which suggests there may be additional mechanisms involved – possibly genetic or biological." Most OC users in the study were taking ethinylestradiol-based formulations, with a median dose of 20 micrograms. Other types of estrogen, such as estradiol hemihydrate and estradiol valerate, were also recorded. "We calculated the equivalent estrogen dose for each patient to ensure consistency," Dr Sezgin explained. "While our data provides important initial insights, larger studies are needed to determine if certain formulations carry different levels of risk. This knowledge could help guide more personalised contraceptive choices for women." While the researchers note that further prospective studies are needed, they advise clinicians to exercise caution when prescribing combined OCs to women with known vascular risk factors or a history of ischaemic stroke. "Our findings should prompt more careful evaluation of stroke risk in young women, particularly those with additional risk factors," concluded Dr. Sezgin. Moving forward, the researchers plan to explore biological and genetic mechanisms underlying the observed association between combined OC use and increased stroke risk to better understand how hormonal contraceptives may independently elevate stroke risk. A reference to ESOC 2025 must be included in all coverage and/or articles associated with this study. About the study author: Dr. Mine Sezgin is a neurologist and stroke researcher based at the Istanbul University Faculty of Medicine. Her work focuses on sex-specific risk factors and stroke prevention in young adults. About the European Stroke Organisation (ESO): The ESO is a pan-European society of stroke researchers and physicians, national and regional stroke societies and lay organisations that was founded in December 2007. The aim of the ESO is to reduce the burden of stroke by changing the way that stroke is viewed and treated. This can only be achieved by professional and public education, and by making institutional changes. ESO serves as the voice of stroke in Europe, harmonising stroke management across the whole of Europe and taking action to reduce the burden of stroke regionally and globally. 1. Sezgin, M., et al. Hormonal contraception increases the risk of cryptogenic stroke in young women. Abstract O049, presented at the European Stroke Organisation Conference; 21 May 2025; Vienna, Austria. 2. Yaghi, S., & Elkind, M. S. (2014). Cryptogenic stroke: A diagnostic challenge. Neurology. Clinical practice, 4 (5), 386–393.
CNN
08-04-2025
- Health
- CNN
‘Amazing' reduction in Alzheimer's risk verified by blood markers, study says
When Penny Ashford's father was diagnosed with early-stage Alzheimer's disease at age 62, she knew the devastating brain disorder might one day steal her memory. In her late 50s, her free-floating anxiety turned to outright panic when she began struggling to find words. 'I couldn't tell a story. I couldn't get my words out,' said Ashford, now 61. 'I remember sitting at a dinner party one time, and I couldn't finish my thoughts. It was the most unbelievable moment. 'I came home and sobbed and told my husband, 'Something is wrong with me. I can't talk,'' she said. 'I was petrified.' Today, after a complete revamp of her lifestyle and overall health, Ashford's struggles with retrieving words have eased, while measures of amyloid and tau proteins and neuroinflammation — all hallmark signs of Alzheimer's — have fallen. Ashford knows about these improvements because she's part of a unique study tracking her progress via key blood biomarkers now being used to help diagnose early dementia. Instead of relying on painful spinal taps and expensive brain scans, these blood tests are heralded as a new, less invasive and time-consuming way to determine risk and aid in an earlier diagnosis of Alzheimer's. The preliminary data, presented Monday at the American Academy of Neurology annual meeting in San Diego, analyzed biomarkers on 54 participants in an ongoing preventive neurology study called the Biorepository Study for Neurodegenerative Diseases, or BioRAND. 'The field is primarily using various biomarkers to determine if you have dementia or not,' said lead study author Dr. Kellyann Niotis, a preventive neurologist who researches risk reduction for Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases at the Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases in Boca Raton, Florida. 'No one is really looking at the changes in these biomarkers as outcome measures, as a way of tracking progress in a person's journey to improve their brain,' Niotis said. 'We believe these biomarkers may show how the disease progression is being modified biologically by a person's actions.' Less invasive test for Alzheimer's risk Alzheimer's blood tests are the key to widespread prevention of dementia, experts say. If people can be diagnosed in their doctor's office, they can more immediately move into preventive care and implement lifestyle changes designed to slow the progression of their disease. The problem, said senior study author Dr. Richard Isaacson, is the variability in how well these new blood biomarker tests work to predict or track disease progression. 'There is a dirty little secret in the Alzheimer's blood testing community where so many testing platforms, biotech companies, and a flurry of new blood tests are released,' Isaacson said, 'but it's unclear which of these tests are most accurate to track progression and evaluate response to therapies to slow progression toward dementia.' To address this gap, Isaacson's research team and collaborators at five sites across the United States and Canada set forth to evaluate and eventually cross-compare the clinical use of what the neurologist said he believes will one day become 'the cholesterol test for the brain.' 'In the not so far future, people in their 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s and beyond will get a baseline test to evaluate risk and help track progress over time — similar to how traditional cholesterol tests are used today,' said Isaacson, founder of one of the first Alzheimer's prevention clinics in the United States. 'Our eventual goal is to offer a blood panel at cost to help democratize access and broaden the ability for people to receive care,' he added. What Alzheimer's blood tests currently measure Measuring levels of both amyloid and tau is key to understanding and diagnosing Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia. Amyloid plaques play a key role in the development of Alzheimer's when small clusters gather at synapses in the brain and interfere with the nerve cells' ability to communicate. Such plaques are thought to trigger changes in tau proteins, which form into tangles in parts of the brain controlling memory. Tau tangles are also implicated in other neurological diseases such as frontal lobe dementia, or FTD, and Lewy body dementia in which abnormal clumps of a protein called alpha-synuclein accumulate in the brain's neurons. The biomarker plasma phosphorylated tau 217, or p-tau217 for short, is a top contender in the diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment and early-stage Alzheimer's disease. Its cousin, p-tau 181, is also a helpful indicator. P-tau 217 is a 'beautiful marker for Alzheimer's,' Dr. Maria Carrillo, chief science officer of the Alzheimer's Association, told CNN in an earlier interview. 'You're not really measuring amyloid, but the test is telling you it's there, and that's been backed up with objective PET (positron emission tomography) scans that can see amyloid in the brain,' Carrillo said. '… If you have elevated tau in your brain, however, then we know that's a sign of another type of dementia.' Another biomarker test is the amyloid 42/40 ratio scan, which measures two types of amyloid proteins, another key biomarker of Alzheimer's disease. At times, such tests work best when used together. In an earlier study, a combination of both amyloid and p-tau 217 tests, called the amyloid probability score, showed a 90% accuracy rate in determining whether memory loss is due to Alzheimer's disease. Glial fibrillary acidic protein, or GFAP, and neurofilament light chain, or NfL, which indicate brain inflammation and degenerative decay, are also helpful in tracking the progression of Alzheimer's disease. Dozens more biomarkers are being tested in labs around the world. Isaacson's team at the Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases is studying more than 125 individual markers from a variety of commercial and research-based tests, some of which may soon be available in a clinical setting. Why investigate so many? Because personalized medicine may demand it, Niotis said. 'Neurodegenerative diseases present so differently in different people,' she said. 'It may be we will need a very nuanced, individualized approach in clinical practice to monitor the effectiveness of what we're doing for a given patient.' Hard work pays off in reduced risk The ongoing preventive neurology study called BioRAND reported on 71 participants, with biomarkers being analyzed on 54 people. The other 17 people served as the control group. The group of 54 received a series of personalized lifestyle recommendations designed to improve their brain. Such interventions have been shown in past research to improve memory and thinking skills by five points on a cognitive test for people with mild cognitive impairment. The recommendations include a focus on blood pressure control, diet, exercise, stress reduction, sleep hygiene and weight control as well as addressing metabolic, hormonal and nutrient imbalances. Medications, vitamins and supplements are tailored to each person's unique needs. Similar to a 2019 study led by Isaacson and Niotis, people who fulfilled at least 60% of the lifestyle recommendations were considered high compliance, while those who implemented less than 60% were low compliance. Periodic blood tests tracked progress in various brain biomarkers. The outcome? The more work people put into change, the better their brains. Just look at Penny Ashford. 'My blood work was terrible; my eating habits were terrible. I didn't exercise, so my muscle tone was really bad — I had no muscles in my bottom or on my thighs,' Ashford said. 'I got the lecture of a lifetime,' she said. 'They told me, 'Your window is closing, your markers are so bad. Either you've got to do this, or you're done.'' 'A 10 out of 10' on diet and exercise A lifelong sugar addict, Ashford stopped eating sweets. 'I used to think I had a chemical imbalance because I was such a crazy freak about sugar — I could polish off a whole bag of Oreos, no problem, and I love ice cream,' Ashford said. 'I haven't had a dessert. I haven't had ice cream. I haven't had anything except fruit since a year ago March.' She began an intense exercise program of cardio and resistance training, along with yoga for stress reduction, and moved to a plant-based Mediterranean style of eating. Under a doctor's supervision, she added supplements and vitamins to boost energy and lower stress. 'She was a 10 out of 10 with her diet and exercise,' Niotis said. 'She lost around 30 pounds and gained lean muscle mass. It was amazing.' A year later, Ashford's blood biomarkers told a completely different story about her brain health. Her p-tau 217 dropped by 43% and her p-tau 181 by 75%. 'We also looked at GFAP and neurofilament light, the markers of neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration,' Niotis said. 'Penny's GFAP went down by 66% and her NfL went down by 84%. 'These are really impressive changes in these markers of neuronal health,' she said. 'And the best part about it is it really did track with her clinical symptoms. Her word retrieval problems improved, and she felt so much better.' 'I'm so proud of myself' Ashford wasn't the only top performer in the study. Blood biomarkers also significantly improved across the entire group given risk reduction advice, Isaacson said, even those who were not as committed as Ashford. 'I've lost count on how many people have shown blood markers of brain disease trend in the right direction, but every time it amazes me,' he said. 'For over 20 years, I was told that what is happening right in front of my eyes was impossible, but the patients' stories, clinical improvements and test results speak for themselves.' Much more work remains before blood testing for Alzheimer's becomes a routine part of clinical practice, Isaacson said. 'Our group has a saying, 'Promise not to overpromise.' By this we mean it's critical to be transparent about the current limitations of these tests, and the variability across different platforms,' he said. While science works out the kinks, Ashford counts herself lucky to be able to track changes in her biomarker numbers — a key motivator in her journey toward better brain health. 'It's huge, huge,' she said. 'I'm so proud of myself. And each success that I have empowers me to do more, keep going and not let up. 'I look back at my dad. He didn't have any of these options. I watched my dad deteriorate, and I thank God, I am so lucky. We are so lucky.'
